Button for shoes or other articles



(No Model.) Y

E. T. ALLAN. BUTTON FOR SHOES OR OTHER ARTICLES.

Patented Jan. 24, 1893.

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EDWARD T. ALLAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF SEVEN-TENTHS TO ABRAHAM GODSHAW', OF SAME PLACE, AND THOMAS JAMES, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

BUTTON FOR SHOES OR OTHER ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,595, dated January 24, 1893.

Application filed January 27, 1892- Serial No. 419,465. (No model.)

T on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. ALLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Attaching Buttons to Fabrics, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of IO reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improved button to be attached to a fabric without the use of thread or the ordinary metallic button fasteners, and consists in the combination with an article such as a boot, shoe or the like, of a button having an eye shank rigidly attached to its head and comprising two parts passed through the material and bent beneath it with their ends abutting.

I am aware that buttons have been devised which can be attached to the fabric without additional means but these are all defective in that proper provision is not made for the slight movement of the button necessary in 5 buttoning or unbuttoning. That is it is necessary for a button to have a certain degree of movement in all directions, hence the extent to which the sewing on of buttons has been carried; because by the use of thread for securing the same to the fabric these movements are easily rendered possible. The disadvantage attendant upon sewing on buttons, however, is the rapidity with which the thread wears out, or cuts the material, making it necessary to form new holes for the passage of the thread when the buttons are newly sewed. Further, in the use of those buttons secured by other means of fastening the shank has been so firmly secured to the fabric as to pre- 0 vent the necessary movement of the button,

and furthermore, the expense is a great objection.

In the carrying out of my invention I make use of a button having a shank with two ends or prongs, these ends being passed down through the material and forced into such position that their ends abut, without clinching.

My invention is illustrated in the accom- 5o panying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a cross section of a button 'having my improved fastening means; Fig. 2

is a similar view showing the severed eye shank for attaching the button to the material; Fig. 3 shows a button as applied; Fig. 4 a similar view after the overlapping piece has been attached.

In the drawings A represents the head of a button made ofpapier-mach or anyothersuitable material. While the button head herein shown is of the form of the ordinary shoe button yet any kind of button may be used this particular one being for the sake of illustration only. This button has secured to it, preferably but not necessarily in the manner shown in the drawings,ashank0t. As shown in Fig. 1 this shank has a rounded head sunk in the button top, a short neck I) and the prongs c, 0. These prongs are beveled at their ends as shown to allow of their being readily driven through the material.

In Fig. 2 the prongs are shown bent to form prongs being preferably bent into eyelet form.

If the shank is of the eyelet form originally the same is severed, the parts separated, the ends driven down through the fabric and then forced together again. It will of course be understood that the staple as shown in Fig. 1, may or may not be bentinto eyelet form since the purpose of the invention is accomplished when the ends are bent together, but not clinched against the material. I prefer, however, to use the shank with the straight prongs and then bend them into eyelet form. I preferably make the shank of such length and the head of such diameter that in the longitudinal swinging of the same the severed ends will not be forced up into and thereby become liable to catch the stock and furthermore by making the shank as short as practicable, when the overlapping piece of material is buttoned on the shank of the button will be drawn up and cause the lower piece of fabric to bulge slightly and form a socket for the lower end of the shank thus keeping the same away from contact with the foot of the wearer and at the same time placing a strain on the shank both above and below the fabric, keeping the eye securely closed.

I am aware that it is old to sever the eyelet shank of a shoe button and press the prongs down through the material an d bend them sidewise and clinch them against the under side thereof. I am also aware that button heads provided with staples adapted to be clinched on the under side of the fabric are old, but with such devices the button is held too rigidly to the fabric and the necessary movement is not allowed, whereas by the use of my invention all the desirable features of ordinary button sewing are present without 20 the disadvantage of rapid wear and the extra cost of sewing and metallic fastening.

I claim as my invention A boot, shoe or other article provided with a button having an eye shank rigidly attached 2 5 to its head and comprising two parts passed through the material of the article and bent beneath it with their ends abutting; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 30 presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD T. ALLAN.

Witnesses:

GALES P. MOORE. ABRAHAM GoDsHAW. 

